Friday evening November 13

Preparation

Opening response

O God, make speed to save us.O Lord, make haste to help us.All your faithful ones bless youThey speak of the glory of your kingdom.

Prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Sovereign God,our light and our salvation,to you be glory and praise forever.Now, as darkness is falling,wash away our transgressions,cleanse us by your refining fireand make us temples of your Holy Spirit.By the light of Christ,dispel the darkness of our heartsand make us ready to enter your kingdom,where songs of praise forever sound.Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.Blessed be God forever.

Hymn

Father, I Dare Believe

Charles Wesley

Father, I dare believeThee merciful and true:Thou wilt my guilty soul forgive,My fallen soul renew.Come then for Jesus’ sake,And bid my heart be clean;An end of all my troubles make,An end of all my sin.

I will, through grace, I will,I do, return to thee;Take, empty it, O Lord, and fillMy heart with purity!For power I feebly pray:Thy kingdom now restore,Today, while it is called today,And I shall sin no more.

Confession of sin

The Lord is compassionate and merciful,very patient, and full of faithful love.He doesn’t deal with us according to our sinor repay us according to our wrongdoing.Because as high as heaven is above the earth,that’s how large God’s faithful love is for those who honor him.

Silence is kept for reflection.

Holy God,Holy and strong,Holy and immortal,have mercy upon us.

As far as east is from west—that’s how far God has removed our sin from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,that’s how the Lord feels compassion for those who honor him.

Let my whole being bless the Lord,and never forget all his good deeds.

The Word of God

Psalm 31

Refrain:I entrust my spirit into your hands.

I take refuge in you, Lord. Please never let me be put to shame. Rescue me by your righteousness!Listen closely to me! Deliver me quickly; be a rock that protects me; be a strong fortress that saves me!You are definitely my rock and my fortress. Guide me and lead me for the sake of your good name!Get me out of this net that’s been set for me because you are my protective fortress.I entrust my spirit into your hands; you, Lord, God of faithfulness— you have saved me.I hate those who embrace what is completely worthless. I myself trust the Lord.I rejoice and celebrate in your faithful love because you saw my suffering— you were intimately acquainted with my deep distress.You didn’t hand me over to the enemy, but set my feet in wide-open spaces.Have mercy on me, Lord, because I’m depressed. My vision fails because of my grief, as do my spirit and my body.My life is consumed with sadness; my years are consumed with groaning.Strength fails me because of my suffering; my bones dry up.I’m a joke to all my enemies, still worse to my neighbors. I scare my friends, and whoever sees me in the street runs away!I am forgotten, like I’m dead, completely out of mind; I am like a piece of pottery, destroyed.Yes, I’ve heard all the gossiping, terror all around; so many gang up together against me, they plan to take my life!But me? I trust you, Lord! I affirm, “You are my God.”My future is in your hands. Don’t hand me over to my enemies, to all who are out to get me!Shine your face on your servant; save me by your faithful love!Lord, don’t let me be put to shame because I have cried out to you.Let the wicked be put to shame; let them be silenced in death’s domain!Let their lying lips be shut up whenever they speak arrogantly against the righteous with pride and contempt!How great is the goodness that you’ve reserved for those who honor you, that you commit to those who take refuge in you— in the sight of everyone!You hide them in the shelter of your wings, safe from human scheming. You conceal them in a shelter, safe from accusing tongues.Bless the Lord, because he has wondrously revealed his faithful love to me when I was like a city under siege!When I was panicked, I said, “I’m cut off from your eyes!”But you heard my request for mercy when I cried out to you for help.All you who are faithful, love the Lord! The Lord protects those who are loyal, but he pays the proud back to the fullest degree.All you who wait for the Lord,be strong and let your heart take courage.

Glory to the Father and to the Sonand to the Holy Spirit;as it was in the beginning is nowand will be forever. Amen.

Refrain:I entrust my spirit into your hands.

Psalm prayer

Lord Jesus Christ,when scorn and shame besiege usand hope is veiled in grief,hold us in your wounded handsand make your face shine on us again,for you are our Lord and God.

Old Testament readingDaniel 7:1-14

In the first year of Babylon’s King Belshazzar, Daniel had a dream—a vision in his head as he lay on his bed. He wrote the dream down. Here is the beginning of the account:

I am Daniel. In the vision I had during the night I saw the four winds of heaven churning the great sea. Four giant beasts emerged from the sea, each different from the others. The first was like a lion with eagle’s wings. I observed it until its wings were pulled off, and it was lifted up from the ground. It was then set on two feet, like a human being, and it received a human mind. Then I saw another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told: “Get up! Devour much flesh!” I kept watching, and suddenly there was another beast, this one like a leopard. On its back it had four wings like bird wings. This beast had four heads. Authority was given to it.

After this, as I continued to watch this night vision, I saw a fourth beast, terrifying and hideous, with extraordinary power and with massive iron teeth. As it ate and crushed, its feet smashed whatever was left over. It was different from all the other beasts before it, and it had ten horns. I was staring at the horns when, suddenly, another small horn came up between them. Three of the earlier horns were ripped out to make room for it. On this new horn were eyes like human eyes and a mouth that bragged and bragged.

As I was watching, thrones were raised up. The ancient one took his seat. His clothes were white like snow; his hair was like a lamb’s wool. His throne was made of flame; its wheels were blazing fire.A river of fire flowed out from his presence; thousands upon thousands served him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood ready to serve him!The court sat in session; the scrolls were opened.

I kept watching. I watched from the moment the horn started bragging until the beast was killed and its body was destroyed, handed over to be burned with fire. Then the authority of the remaining beasts was brought to an end, but they were given an extension among the living for a set time and season.

As I continued to watch this night vision of mine, I suddenly sawone like a human being coming with the heavenly clouds.He came to the ancient one and was presented before him.Rule, glory, and kingship were given to him; all peoples, nations, and languages will serve him.His rule is an everlasting one— it will never pass away!— his kingship is indestructible.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament readingRevelation 9:1-12

Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the abyss. He opened the shaft of the abyss; and smoke rose up from the shaft, like smoke from a huge furnace. The sun and air were darkened by the smoke from the shaft. Then locusts came forth from the smoke and onto the earth. They were given power like the power that scorpions have on the earth. They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree. They could only hurt the people who didn’t have the seal of God on their foreheads. The locusts weren’t allowed to kill them, but only to make them suffer for five months—and the suffering they inflict is like that of a scorpion when it strikes a person. In those days people will seek death, but they won’t find it. They will want to die, but death will run away from them.

The locusts looked like horses ready for battle. On their heads were what seemed to be gold crowns. Their faces were like human faces, their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. In front they had what seemed to be iron armor upon their chests, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of many chariots and horses racing into battle. They also have tails with stingers, just like scorpions; and in their tails is their power to hurt people for five months. Their king is an angel from the abyss, whose Hebrew name is Abaddon, and whose Greek name is Apollyon.

The first horror has passed. Look! Two horrors are still coming after this.

Silence may be kept.

Gospel canticleThe Magnificat (The Song of Mary)

Refrain: Well done! You are a good and faithful servant. You’ve been faithful over a little. I’ll put you in charge of much.

With all my heart I glorify the Lord!In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior.He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant.Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favoredbecause the mighty one has done great things for me.Holy is his name.He shows mercy to everyone,from one generation to the next,who honors him as God.He has shown strength with his arm.He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations.He has pulled the powerful down from their thronesand lifted up the lowly.He has filled the hungry with good thingsand sent the rich away empty-handed.He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,remembering his mercy, just as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to Abraham’s descendants forever.

Luke 1:46-55

Glory to the Father and to the Sonand to the Holy Spirit;as it was in the beginning is nowand will be forever. Amen.

Refrain:Well done! You are a good and faithful servant. You’ve been faithful over a little. I’ll put you in charge of much.

The Apostle’s Creed

Let us unite in this historic confession of the Christian faith:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,born of the Virgin Mary,suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and was buried;he descended to the dead.On the third day he rose again;he ascended into heaven,is seated at the right hand of the Father,and will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,the holy catholic church,the communion of saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body,and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers

Thanksgiving and intercession

Thanksgiving may be made for the day.Intercessions are offeredfor peacefor individuals and their needs

Response

Lord, hear your peopleand answer our prayers.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

Almighty Father,whose will is to restore all thingsin your beloved Son, the King of all:govern the hearts and minds of those in authority,and bring the families of the nations,divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin,to be subject to his just and gentle rule;who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven,as our Savior taught us, so we pray

Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.Forgive us our sinsas we forgive those who sin against us.Lead us not into temptationbut deliver us from evil.For the kingdom, the power,and the glory are yoursnow and forever.Amen.

Conclusion

May Christ, who has opened the kingdom of heaven,bring us to reign with him in glory.Amen.